Samaria
by MasqueradeInTheTARDIS
Summary: Based off the classic tale 'Beauty and The Beast'. Samaria is an e-book shopkeeper who is forced to live with the King of her country in an effort to settle her father's debt. No one ever sees the King. Why is that? Samaria sets out to find just exactly why and escape with the help of an unlikely alliance. {I DO NOT OWN THE LUNAR CHRONICLES NOR DO I OWN BEAUTY AND THE BEAST]
1. Chapter 1

**With a reluctant sigh Samaira waved the couple goodbye.** After just completing another sale she settled herself down in her chair and looked around to make sure no one was watching before she pulled out a thick and worn hard bound book. She made herself comfortable and turned to the page she had folded with care at the top right corner and continued reading from where she had left off. A few minutes went by and it was just her and the book until the bell atop the door rang, signaling someone had entered her shop. Samaira was quick to hide the book in a cubby that was part of her desk before looking up to see a familiar man standing just behind the register.

"Oh! Garin, it's only you." Pulling the book back out of its hiding place she relaxed herself against her chair once more and turned to the page where she had left off.  
"Only me?" Garin said, sounding hurt put in a teasing way. "There should be a red carpet rolled out everytime I enter!"  
Samaira looked up, brows furrowed and her face shrunk in disgust, "What's that smell?" She asked with a hint of regret. Garin pulled his hand up to reveal to her three dead animals she couldn't really identify with all the dried blood and mutilated faces. There were fuzzy and dead for sure. She jumped back on sight, her book hitting the ground with a loud thud as she let out a gasp. Garin just laughed before lowering his hand.  
"Surprise?"  
"Get those out of my shop!"  
"Technically it's your father's shop but alright. I'm out. See you later, Sammy."  
Garin left, the animals swaying in his grip. Samaira shuddered and picked up her book and brushed the cover with her hand and checked for any damages. She slid the book back into the cubby and shut and locked the door, putting the key into her coat pocket. She looked around her shop. It was small because they didn't really need much. Books became obsolete and all people had to do now-a-days was to just pick a book from the monitor, scan their ID and the amount of univs requested would come out of their account. Then, the book would be wirelessly delivered to wherever they lived and uploaded to their android who would read it to them in a bland, monotone voice. That didn't sound like much fun to Samaira. She prefered an actual book but had to read them in secret since they were illegal now.  
The only ones who knew about her secret was her father and her best friend since childhood, Garin. He grew up to be quite the charmer but was too full of himself. He was tall, muscular with ocean blue eyes and a smile that could kill you. All the girls in her country swooned over him. Except for Samaria, she only saw him as a friend, a brother and that's the way she wanted it to stay but over time Garin kept pushing himself on to her and she only ignored him, showed no interest and kept her nose in a book.  
That's the way she liked it.

The bell rang once more and Samaria got to her feet to greet the new customer but it was only a Guroid. And android guard. Sent from the palace located in her country. She lived in New York which after the Fourth World War was destroyed. What was left of the civilization tried their best to clean it up and populate it once more but everything went wrong and now New York was just a jungle with some building here and there. Some decent homes and shelters. A school and that was about it.  
Samaria glared sharply at the Guroid  
"How can I help you?" She asked through gritted teeth.  
"I request to speak with the owner." Its computerized voice shrieked.  
"He's not here and won't be for another couple of hours. Night I ask what this is about?"  
"The King is expecting payment. Your payment is late." Then the Guroid just up and left without another word or without giving Samaria a chance to get a final word in.  
Her father was once again late on the rent. Samaria sat herself back down in the chair and took out the key, unlocked the cubby and took out her book. She couldn't deal with her father's mistakes anymore and instead, journeyed to another world, if only for a little while.


	2. Chapter 2

** A voice echoes in her ear.** She's asleep and someone outside of her dreamland is trying to get her attention. A customer perhaps? A customer. Her book.  
Samaria's eyes spring open and she jumped to her feet, instantly feeling lighthheaded. She tried to adjust with the light in the shop and it only take a couple of seconds. She yawns and looked to find her father, wide-eyed and shaking. Her body switched from tense to relaxed in a matter of seconds and she rolls her eyes and shuts her book and places it back into the cubby.  
"You should be more careful as to when you decide to take a nap! What if I was a customer? You would be taken to prison and tried for reading an actual book!" Her father yelled but she just sat herself back down and paid no attention to him. It was the same speech every time.  
"But it was you! I think you just need to calm down." Samaria pipes up, twirling a strand of her brunette hair with one finger. "And where were you all day? A Guroid came in earlier looking for you. Something about payment." Her eyes shot up at her father who once agains started shaking.  
She was surprised her old man hadn't dropped dead yet. He went through every day terrified of the King. Everyone was but yet the King never greeted his country in person. Never came out of his eerie castle. Some people believe that the King is just something someone made up to keep the country in tact over the years. But Samaria always felt that maybe there was a reason why the King never showed his face.  
Samaria peered out the window to her right which had a lovely view of the castle. It was pouring and thunder and lightening which made the castle ever creepier looking. Her gaze wandered back to her father. She took in his sausage fingers and his huge gut. His balding head and his strained eyes. Standing now, she went over to her father and leaned over a bit and wrapped her arms around him as if to keep him safe, to calm him down. She patted his head before pulling back and giving him a kiss on the forehead and gave him a sweet smile, though, her father didn't give her one in return.  
"Have you got the payment?"  
"No!" Her father replied rather quickly. Samaria frowned. "I spent it all. Gambled it all away." He choked on a sob.  
"Again!?"  
Her father looked away, ashamed. There was a loud pounding at the door and a familiar robotic screech cried out, "Open the door! Payment is requested!" Samaria went to the door, her hand on the handle as she then looked back at her father. He gave her a nod and straightened himself out a bit. The Guroid entered and Samaria greeted it with a wide smile, hiding her fear like always.


	3. Chapter 3

**"I don't have the payment at the moment." Samaria's father spoke up.** The Guroid turned his attention to him, bringing her camera eyes close to his face. Samaria froze in her place. She knew what it was doing. They say the Guroids are the King's eyes. They roam the streets, cameras for both eyes so the King can stay locked away without any worry. He was always watching. There were also security cameras placed on almost every street corner. You can't do anything in this country without the King knowing.  
"The King requests payment or pay a penalty! He is upset with you! You have already been late on three payments. The King is very upset and threatens to take away the shop seeing how unfit of an owner you are."  
Her father stammered, stuttering over word after word, "M-M-Maybe we can c-c-come up with a-a-a-a-..." There was a pause as he tried to find the right word, "compromise! Uh-... No.." He swallowed his words. "Please! I'm begging you. This shop means everything to my daughter. Without it she would be miserable. I will make the payment. I do promise you that."  
Samaria's eyes widened. Sure the shop was nice but she would've liked to have more time to herself, more privacy so she could illegally read her hard bound books. A smirk covered her lip which immediately went away when she saw the Guroid straighten up then turn to face her. Head coming close again and now moving up and down as if scanning her. Then the head was back up, meeting her eyes with its cameras.  
She felt awkward in this situation, her eyes glanced over at her father and he was gesturing for her to do something or say something, anything to help him. He eyes found the camera's again and she gave a slight wave and a shy smile.  
"Hello, King." She spoke, her voice soft and she hoped her nervousness was hidden enough. She dropped her hand and cleared her throat.  
"Are you his daughter!?" The Guroid demanded, making Samaria jump. All she could do was nod. The Guroid canned her body was more, Samaria heating up with anger.  
"Up here, buddy!" Samaria protested, lifting the Guroid's head. She could see the camera's focus in on her.  
"The King says he has a deal in mind." The Guroid turned back to Samaria's father. Hovering over to him, coming in close, causing him to lean his head back a bit.  
"Yes! Yes, of course. Anything my King!"  
There was silence. The Guroid turned back to Samaria, her eyes locked on the cameras. Then, the Guroid turned back to her father.  
"He wants your daughter."

Samaria could've sworn she was having some bizarre dream. Maybe she was still asleep. One of her hands reached under her light blue sleeve as she began to pinch herself yet here she was. This was no dream, but a really twisted event happening in her light she claimed was a nightmare.  
"My daughter!? Whatever do you mean?" Her father stepped forward, poking at the Guroid.  
"The King is enchanted by your daughter. He wishes to keep her at the castle." The Guroid said, "wishes to keep her there forever. He will stop at nothing to get here. The King will burn down your shop, having you locked inside of it if you do not accept."  
Samaria's head was spinning, she rushed over to the desk and crouched down, unlocking the cubby and and taking out the book and sliding it into the inside pocket of her coat and keeping her hand there as she felt the Guroid place its cold, metallic hands on her and pulling her to her feet.  
"No! Father! Help me!" She cried out, her thrashing was not helping. She couldn't get free from the stronghold the Guroid had on her. Her eyes found her father, he was panicked. Her hair fell into her sight and in an instant, everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

**In her mind she had escaped to another world.** She found herself in a field. A cool summer breeze played with her hair as she was too involved in her book to fix the now tangled mess of her silky brunette hair. A smile spread across her lips. Her white as snow teeth showing as he let out a gently laugh. Someone then approached her and she was pulled away from her book. Looking up, the sun shone from behind, making the face of this person hard to see. Samaria placed a hand just over her forehead, trying to block the sun but it was no use. For some reason she started to panic and she got up, dropped her book and ran for the little cottage just up the hill and another pair of feet stomped behind her.  
She screamed, crying out for help and as he reached the cottage she tried the door but it wouldn't open. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her and she was pulled closer to the person. Meeting their eyes she saw only camera, her own eyes wide as she let out a blood curdling scream.  
A gasp escaped her lips as her eyes shot open. Her body paralyzed for a few seconds as he tried to catch her breath. She found herself in a room that she did not recognize. Sitting up, she only saw darkness except there was a victorian looking candle holder placed on her nightstand table that hovered next to her bed. The three holographic flames gave her a little light. She grabbed it, only to find her palms sweating.  
Wandering around the room now, she didn't find much. Only a dresser with a huge round mirror that was smashed. Holding the candle up to it, she say her own face, sliced. She glanced down and found a clock and it was working. It read 9:18. Which was odd. It read time differently. It must've been a clock from way before her time but whether it was am or pm Samaria didn't know. The windows were heavily tinted from the inside and no light was able to break through.  
Something sparked Samaria. Her coat. The book. She checked herself to find she was only wearing a bra and her underwear which would explain why she was colder than before. Sweat also covered her body. Where were her clothes? What was done to her while she was passed out? Anger boiled inside of her which quickly cooled when she became aware of another presence in the room.  
Grabbing the fleece blanket she wrapped it tightly around herself, leaving her arm stuck out, the holographic flames still ablaze and she stepped forward a bit.  
"Looking for someone?" A voice coming from right in front of her asked.  
Samaria let out a scream and stumbled back and luckily was able to catch her balance.  
"Who's there?" She asked, voice trembling.  
"My dear girl, don't you know who I am? You are in my castle after all?" The voice was low, rough and dark. "I take it you were looking for this?" She couldn't see anything but she knew what he held in his hand.  
"How long have you been standing there? What did you do to me and where are my clothes?"  
"Samaria, isn't it?" The King asked, "your clothes were soaked from the rain. I got you undressed and in bed. Trust me, I didn't do anything but admire your gorgeous body."  
She shuddered at the thought of the King undressing her while she was unconscious. His hands on her, his eyes taking in her every inch of her. She choked out a sob, a couple of tears running free. Placing a hand over her mouth she looked up and in to the darkness.  
"I don't want to be here." Was all she managed to get out. She slowly inched forward.  
"You don't have a choice, my dear. It was either this or your father would've burned." The King had on a wicked smirk.  
Samaria stepped forward more, hand reached out so she could get a hold of her book but as she came closer the holographic flames casted light and she saw a torn cloak, the hood of it placed over the King's head.  
There was a sharp hiss and before Samaria could get her eyes on the King's face, a hand of his swatted the candle holder away then a hand came hard across her face, cutting off a scream as she then fell to the floor. A hand of her rubbed gently at the spot where the King's had met her cheek. Her tears blocked up, her vision suddenly looking as if she had opened her eyes under water.  
"You dumb girl! Don't you ever do that again."  
Do what? She was just trying to see the face of whom she was talking to.  
"I'll be keeping you book." The King said and thought it was completely dark, Samaria could make out the wide, devilish smirk the King had on. She swallowed and just nodded, letting out a choked 'mhmm'.  
Samaria heard the sound of a door opening, she quickly got to her feet and rushed to see the cloaked figure exiting her room but was too late. She pounded her fists hard against the door, screaming and crying to be let free. She gave up seconds later, turning and running her back down the door as she hugged her knees to her chest and wiped away a couple of tears.  
Reaching for the candle holder now she was able to turn it back on, the holographic flames igniting instantly. She wondered if this was the type of model where she could control the size of the flamest. The bigger the flames meant the more light. She switched it to the highest setting which cast light on half the room. She could see better now. That would've come in handy earlier. She walked back to the dresser and set the candle holder just in front of the shattered mirror. She then began to rummage through the drawers but stopped when she pulled open the first one and something caught her attention. A hand mirror.  
Holding it in her handle she inspected it in the dim light. It was silver, never been used she assumed since the condition of the mirror was like new. It sparkled almost as she held it by the handle. Staring in to it now she made a face of horror as she saw her own reflection.  
"I have to get out of here. I have to get home. I have to help father!" She held back her tears, looking toward the candle holder but the mirror changed and she saw this from out of the corner of her eye. turning her eyes toward the mirror now, her jaw dropped. "Father…" She let out in a soft whisper as she watched her father drinking his life away at a bar. He was already past drunk but she didn't matter at this point, she had a magic mirror.  
"Garlin! I want to see Garlin!" She spoke a bit louder for the mirror to hear and it showed her Garlin and she regretted it. She saw him on top of another woman, making out and what looked like grinding. She placed the mirror against her chest and thanked the stars for this discovery.  
Samaria rushed back to her bed and slid the mirror behind her pillow. She got the blankets from off the floor and made herself comfortable in her bed. She found herself falling asleep almost instantly with the reassurance that she could still be somewhat apart of the word outside of this castle.


	5. Chapter 5

There was a knock at the door which brought Samaria out of her slumber. The sound echoed and filled the room. Seconds past and the knocking stopped. She was rather confused seeing as the knocking was rather soft. Maybe it wasn't the King. Who else might've lived in the castle?  
"My dear girl. Are you awake?"  
Apparently just the King. Samaria didn't answer but instead she took the mirror from behind her pillow and checked herself. Her hair was all in a tizzy. Her dark green eyes had dark circles painted underneath and her lips were dry.  
"I would like for you to join me in the dining room for breakfast." The King's voice was eerily low. It wasn't low and he wasn't barking commands.  
"I would like to make a request." Samaria said, placing the mirror behind her pillow again and pulling a blanket over her front and going to the door, "I request a shower. Alone. I'll be only a few minutes and if you let me be by myself, if you would be so kind as to trust me enough to be on my own then I'll join you for breakfast."  
Silence. Samaria stepped closer to the door, placing a hand against it and putting her ear to it. Suddenly she heard the sound of the lock sliding back into its chamber. She tried the handle and sure enough the door opened.

With the door open she exited the bedroom and stepped out onto the carpeted hallway, her bare feet feeling as if they were pressing against a cloud. The hallway was lined with candles, actual candled but only less than a half of them were lit. The flames were wide and flailing uncontrollably she was shocked that they hadn't blown out yet.  
Her attention turned to a staircase which was long and led down into the main room and she saw a door. A huge, dark oak door with strange carvings in it and black handle. That must've been the door out of here. She perked up but remembered her deal with the King. He was kind enough to let her out of the room and she really was starving.  
As she approached the edge of the steps she stubbed her toe against a small table which seemed out of place. Turning her attention to the table she glared at it as if it were a child who had kicked her in the knee. Though her foot was in pain, she placed it again the carpet and stepped forward to the table and took carefully in her hand a single red rose.

Trying not to prick herself on the thorns she took held it against two fingers and inhaled the scent. Her eyes fluttered and she was actually smiling. Her fingers gently traced the peddles as her eyes scanned both sides of the hallway.  
There seemed to be no sign of the King.  
Turning her attention back to the rose she began to think of her mother.  
As a young girl, Samaria were told stories of life during and a little after the Fourth World War. Her father was against it but her mother didn't care. Samaria was bound to find out about the history of her country some day.  
"Be careful, Samaria." Her mother's voice faintly echoed as she was pulled into a flash back. She saw her mother handing her the rose, "the thorns hold posion. You see, long before you were born this country was ruled by a loving family with a daughter who was cursed by her evil Aunt. She told the King and Queen at the celebration of Princess Ashlyn's birth that come her seventeenth birthday and would prick her finger on a spindle and fall into a deep sleep, never to wake."  
Samaria kept staring at the rose, not wanting to leave her mother. The memories continued.  
"The evil Aunt went forward with her threat. And come the princess's seventeenth birthday, her Aunt extracted the poisonous venom from the thorns of roses and had a spindle coated with it. Ashlyn no doubt pricked her finger and fell into a deep sleep. Her own mother and father hid her away but several men found her. Some only having one thing in mind." Samaria remembered how saddened her mother became suddenly at that part of the story, "the evil Aunt took over the castle and plagued the country with roots that made up a wall all around. No one could come in or go out." Which explained why her country was almost jungle like. "The princess is said to still be asleep, never growing old but forever staying her beautiful self. Hidden away but only a true love's kiss can wake her up."  
And just like that, her memory of her mother was gone. She pricked herself on a thorn days later and her father wasn't able to wake her because their love had faded long ago.  
Tears danced down Samaria's cheek and she held in her sob so not to draw attention to herself. She placed the rose back on the table and fled down the hallway, stopping when she'd seen the bathroom. She was able to calm herself down enough to get through the shower and when she returned to her bedroom she found her light blue dress laid out on her bed. She put it on and went to find the dining room.


	6. Chapter 6

The King was sat at the end of a long wooden table. The dining room was big and empty except for the table. There were also candles hung from the walls like the ones in the hallways. Very few were lit, not giving much light to the room.  
Samaria had finally found the dining room, messing with her hair so to give it volume. She took in the room and saw the King just in front of her, the back of his chair facing her but his clock was draped over one of the arms. She made her way to the opposite end where she could see that there was a plate put out for her with more food on it then she's ever seen in her whole life. There was toast, eggs and pancakes. The smell of it all had her wanting to devour it all but she had to be civilized. We was dining with the King after all.  
Halfway through breakfast the King finally broke the silence.  
"Did you find my gifts?" He asked, voice louder this time so he could hear her from the opposite end, and soothing.  
Gifts. Plural. She figured the rose must've been a gift but she couldn't say for sure what the other gift was. The King took more away than he gave.  
"I saw the rose. It's lovely but forgive, I don't know of this other gift."  
"My dear, the mirror. Have you found it in your dresser?"  
The mirror was given to her by the King? He put it there for her to find. Her eyes went wide a bit and she swallowed.  
"I found that actually. Thank you it's lovely."  
"It's linked to all the cameras and Guroids in the country. You can travel and never have to leave my castle." The King said and Samaria felt as if the king was smiling. Was he happy that he was torturing her by keeping her inside. Forcing her to never see her father again. Taking away her book and locking her in a room. Was this all some sort of sick game.  
Samaria stood. The chair crashing back on the ground. "Why did you take me?" She was shocked by her own actions, "I'm talking to you! Answer me! Why me!?" With still no answer she made her way quickly to the King's side of the table.  
"Take another step and I'll have regretted my letting you out."  
Samaria could make out the hood of the King's cloak. His face covered by darkness along with the rest of his body. All she could really make out were his clothes.  
Without another word she stormed off but stopped just outside the doorway of the dining room. Samaria waited a minute and she heard the scraping of his knife sliding against the plate. He had began to eat again. She took in a sharp breath before sneaking up behind the King being sure to make her movements slow. A hand of hers reached out as she was right behind him. She pulled down the hood of his cloak and he sprung to his feet, his crash crashing down to the floor and Samaria stumbling back and falling to the ground.  
The King turned, meeting Samaria's eyes. What she saw was like nothing she has read about in a book. Or even imagined. She got to her feet and ran up the stairs, tripping every two steps with the King close behind. She finally made it back to her room and landed onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow as she let out a scream, tears streaming down her face. The sound of her bedroom door slamming shut and it was locked again.

Hours past as Samaria now was more calm, the image of the King's face fresh in her mind. She took the mirror from under her pillow.  
"Show me the book shop." She said and it did. Her father was passed out at the desk as a customer came in. She didn't get to see the rest of what was about to happen because the footage cut out and all she saw was a girl.  
"Pull up Linh Cinder." The girl spoke, unaware of Samaria's virtual presence, "Birth records. Any history?"  
A closer look and Samaria could see the girl had long blonde hair that seemed to go on for miles. Her eyes took in every other feature but her eyes always went back to her hair. She moved her head from side to side trying to see if she can get a better view.  
"Amazing.." Samaria muttered and the girl froze and looked to her left a bit.  
"Bring up video feed." The girl then looked straight at her, "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I wonder how this happened.." She muttered as she then pulled up a holographic keyboard and typed away, eyes still on Samaria but she could tell she wasn't looking at her this time. "I must've connected to your feed on accident. My apologies, Miss!"  
"Mistress' ship in bound. ETA 60 seconds."  
"Thank you, Little Cress!" The girl called out to something out of view and just like that she was gone and the image of the book shop was up again.  
"Wait!-.." But it was too late. The mirror went blank, casting Samaria's shocked expression.


	7. Chapter 7

A week had gone by and there was still no Samaria hadn't seen the girl in the mirror since. She tried several times, using the mirror too often and asking it to show her the most randomist places hoping that the girl would pop back up.  
Samaria didn't see the girl as a burden but she saw her as a way out.  
The King would often stop as her bedroom door and ask if Samaria would like to join her for tea or dinner. She always refused, still horrified at the sight she saw though every time she turned him away she would hear a low sigh which seemed to cover his true emotion. Sadness. Hurt. Loneliness. And it hurt Samaria more to have to refuse the King. she tried to understand his logic behind taking her from her home and locking her up.  
Meals would be delivered on cure every morning, afternoon and night. One afternoon she opened the door before the King had a chance to sneak away. She spotted his cloak extending out of the shadows and she looked up. Not really knowing why. It scared her to even think about it. She couldn't see his face anyway. It was hidden in the darkness. Samaria picked up the tray and went back into her room, stopping just in the doorway.  
"Would you like to join me?" She asked, head turned in the King's direction, he eyes glancing up at him. "You have to take off your cloak. Don't be afraid. I'm sorry for my reaction but you have to understand that I wasn't expecting-.." She swallowed her words and turned her attention to the tray in her hands.  
Walking in to her room now she had set the tray on her bed and made herself comfortable. Footsteps were soon heard and her eyes shot up towards the door. She froze in anticipation and finally the King came in to view. She watched as the cloak fluttered down to the floor and the lighting in the room was just enough to see the King.  
She now knew why he never left the castle.

The King's left hand moved slowly to the inside of his dark red coat. He pulled out Samaria's book and held it out to her.  
"I read it.."  
Samaria's breath caught. The King had broke one of his own rules and a major one at that. But.. Why? She reached her hand out and the King stepped forward, her eyes dropping to the book as she felt the hard spine press against the palm of her hand. Her fingers pressed down on to it like a grappling hook and one finger brushed against the King's robotic hand.  
He didn't feel her. But Samaria felt him. She quickly placed her free hand onto his and leaned up a bit, meeting his eyes and not caring that one was a cloudy blue and the other was robotic like his hand.  
The King tried to pull away but Samaria placed a hand against his natural skin though part of it looked as if someone had poured acid on him.  
She wiped away a tear of his and gave the King a sweet smile.  
"Won't you please sit down?"  
"Yes.. Of course my dear."  
He made himself comfortable next to her on the bed, feeling nervous but his heart was exploding. He could feel his heart sending all these weird vibes throughout his body. He felt like he wasn't even there. His head was spinning and though he tried multiple times to calm himself he just could not.  
They had breakfast together and later, the King took the tray, about to leave when he stopped in the doorway.  
"You like books? Other worlds? Fantasy and things that are impossible?"  
"Yes." Samaria said, getting to her feet.  
"Follow me." The King left the room, leaving his cloak behind as Samaria quickly followed behind.

The King set the tray down on the table that was placed just at the end of the stairs. He took the rose carefully in his hand and gave it to Samaria. She took it and trailed a finger over the smooth rose petals and the King asked her to follow him once more. They went down the hall to the right and stopped at two closed doors.  
A bit confused she looked to the King, her brows furrowed but he put a finger as if telling her to wait. He then pulled open the doors.  
Samaria's eyes widened, her hands dropped to her side and the rose fell lightly to the floor. She could not believe her eyes. She could not take this all in. Letting out a delightful squeal she looked to the King, he just gestured for her to go inside, giving her a wide smile at her reaction.  
Picking up her dress a bit, Samaria ran inside and stopped in front of the one of the several bookshelves in the room...


	8. Chapter 8

The room was surprisingly lit by sunlight. Why the King had only this room's windows non-tinted was a mystery to Samaria. Her hand trailed over the spines of almost every book on the multiple shelves in the room. Some books were in great condition whereas others were torn, their spines broken or bent. She chose a couple old and new looking books and held them the best she could in the crook of her elbow.  
"Have you got all you need?" The King asked, coming up from behind. He was ghosting Samaria as she journeyed the room. He stood next to her and Samaria turned to him. He didn't flinch.  
"Yes! I think I've got quite enough." She said with a side smile. The King nodded and gestured to the door.  
Samaria followed the King down the long hallway. At the stairs, again, Samaria glanced down at the door. She stood and looked to the King who glanced over at her.  
"I'm just curious but.. Are those the doors to outside?"  
"No."  
"Where do those door lead to then?"  
"Maybe some other time I will show you." The King said with a nervous smile and Samaria knew instantly that he was hiding something. Her eyes never left the door as she was lead back to her room.

Once back in her room the King had finally picked up his cloak and folded it over his arm. Samaria had actually kissed the King and thanked him for the books. The door to her bedroom shut but did not lock.  
"Ugggh… Thank the stars, he's finally gone.." Samaria said when she felt the King had wandered away. She dropped the books on her bed when something caught her attention. There was a voice coming from behind her pillow.  
"Aww! Little Cress, you won again!"  
Little Cress… Why did that sound so familiar to Samaria? She jumped onto her bed and grabbed the mirror from under her pillow and there she saw the girl she had been looking for for over a week now.  
"You again! Finally!" Samaria shouted with excitement which caused the girl in the mirror to jump out of shock. The girl looked to the left, narrowing her eyes a bit.  
"You again? How does this keep happening? … Bring up video feed." And once again the girl looked right at her now. "Who are you?"  
"I should ask you the same thing!"  
"My name's Cress."  
"Samaria."  
Cress gave her a wide smile and started typing.  
"Samaria…" She muttered as she narrowed her eyes at the screen. "You live in New York? You have two sisters and a father. Mother is deceased. Very sorry about that."  
"Yes. My sister's could care less about me. My father's a drunk and it's ok about my mother. She's not exactly dead. It's a long story." Samaria said with a slight shrug.  
"Why is it so dark where you are?" Cress asked, leaning in a bit.  
"I'm in the the King's castle. I was given to him by my father as a twisted way of settling his debt. The King is disgusting. He's a horrible person and, well, let's just say he's not my type."  
"What is your type?"  
Samaria just looked to Cress and gave her a sweet smile. Cress blushed a bit and played with a strand of her hair.  
"Can you help me?" Samaria asked.  
"With what?"  
"I want to escape." Samaria stated with a serious tone of voice. then looked to the mirror. Cress nodded and started typing away.  
"I'll see what I can do. I'll contact you when I have something useful."  
The image of Cress typing soon vanished and Samaria's serious and angry expression stared back at her.  
This was it. She was going to escape no matter what it took.


	9. Chapter 9

Three books, three days and nine meals later Samaria had exited her room finally. She looked around to see if the King was anywhere nearby before stepping out into the hall and shutting the door slowly behind her so not to make any noise.  
She tiptoed down the stairs and stopped in front of the doors which she thought was the way out but now she knew that just behind those doors was something the King was hiding. She pulled the doors open with a loud creak and she shut her eyes tight, ducking her head as she heard the noises, hoping the King hadn't heard. With no sign of the king she headed down the a long spiral staircase which only lead into darkness.  
The room was small and cold. Holographic lights soon lit. Motion sensors was Samaria's guess.  
She could now make out a glass coffin and her eyes widened as she stepped forward and placed a hand against the glass and looked down at the person inside.  
There laid a beautiful bonde girl. Her hair framed her face neatly and her arms crossed over her chest, her left hand laid over her right. She wore a vintage looking dress. It was a dark blue and it hugged her body perfectly . Samaria tilted her head a bit and scanned over the girl's body before glancing back to her face.  
She looked so vulnerable. So innocent. So gorgeous.  
"Princess Ashlyn." Samaria muttered with a tone of disbelief.


End file.
